1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to furniture and, in particular, to tables.
2. Description of Related Art
Conventional tables are used for a variety of purposes and come in a wide array of designs. Conventional tables often include table tops that are constructed from materials such as wood, particle board or metal. Table tops constructed from wood, particle board or metal, however, are often relatively heavy and this may make the table awkward or difficult to move. Table tops constructed from wood or metal are also relatively expensive and these types of table tops must generally be treated or finished before use. For example, table tops constructed from wood must generally be sanded and painted, and metal table tops must be formed into the desired shape and painted. In addition, these relatively heavy table tops may increase the cost of shipping, transportation and/or storage of the tables.
In order to decrease the weight of conventional tables, it is known that table tops can be constructed from relatively light-weight materials such as plastic. Disadvantageously, these light-weight table tops frequently require reinforcing members or other structural parts such as braces, brackets, support members and the like to strengthen the table top. While these additional parts may increase the strength of the table top, the additional parts may also increase the weight of the table. In addition, these additional parts may increase manufacturing costs and require additional time to assemble the table. For example, additional fasteners may be required to connect these additional parts to the table, which may require extra time and labor during the manufacturing process. The additional parts and fasteners may also increase the cost of the table and make the table more difficult to manufacture. Furthermore, these additional parts may have sharp edges that can injure the user's legs, arms or other body parts.
Conventional tables often include legs that are sized and configured to support the table top about a surface, such as the floor or ground, and a frame that is connected to the table top. The frame may include a pair of side rails that are connected to the sides of the table top using fasteners. It is also known to connect the side rails of the frame to an outer peripheral lip of the table top. In particular, it is known to use fasteners to attach the frame to the lip by inserting fasteners through the side rails and into the lip.
Unfortunately, when excessive forces or loads are applied to such tables, the fasteners may allow the frame to detach or separate from the table top. In addition, if the table top is constructed from plastic, the fasteners can damage and even tear through the table top if the load or force exceeds a certain amount. Moreover, the side rails and frames of some conventional tables may have lower strength and/or structural integrity, which may allow the table to undesirably break or collapse.